Is Political Science Hard? – Facts, Universities, Scope & Majors

Are you trying to figure out whether Political Science is worth choosing as a major or not? When every decision that you make significantly affects how you turn out to be in the future, you need to pay good attention. For all those who plan to study a political science major, you might be wondering, is political science really that hard? The answer seems to be a big no.

Is Political Science Hard?

To have a positive experience in this field, you must first of all be able to think critically. Secondly, you should be able to evaluate interactions on any governmental level and formulate a persuasive argument about any political aspect. Following is a well-researched account of all the up- and downsides of studying political science, and the footsteps you should follow in order to immerse yourself in it.

What Do You Study in Political Science?

Political Science makes you well versed with the nature of power. A good political scientist is potentially a vital citizen as he is able to critically evaluate comparative politics, the methodologies that run a state and make a confident approach to the different levels of governmental operations.

Political science is the profound study of methodologies of the integrated operation of different levels of government:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• Local Government

Some other important topics of concern are the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch, elections and voting, and lastly the Constitution.

Different Political Theories

Ancient Greek political philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle left their profound imprints in the political history of mankind. The theories of the present time are related to the ancient ones, which must all be analyzed critically. This lets us build stronger humanitarian concepts and understand the political methodology that runs the world today. 

Not just that, but the field also makes you develop a critical overlook on the gap between political theories and the way governments actually operate.

Influences in the Political world 

The political policies of the world are controlled by various influences at every level. Political Science provides a complete account of all the influences and powers within the political world. 

Diplomatic and Military Strategies

Being a citizen who is well versed with the principles of political science, you can understand the strategic methodologies of the diplomatic and military aspects of the state and answer questions like;

Why did the government declare war?

Why is the state going through an economic crisis? e.t.c

Subfields of Political Science

A political science major consists of an intriguing mix of subjects you get to study during this course of time. The four major subfields of political science are as follows:

American Politics

American politics is an analysis of the existence of an overlap between theory and practice. You get to delve into the operations of Congress and American government officials, the theories of power in America’s governmental perspective, and much more. 

International Relations

A broad-spectrum study of International relations helps you immerse yourself in the global interactions, and understand critical phenomena like wars, economic crisis, diplomatic and military strategies that control the relationships in the world and United Nations.

Comparative Politics

This branch evaluates and compares political philosophies and their role in policy formulation and law-making for the state.

Political Theory

This branch lets students explore the classic and impactful political theory of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers.

Top Universities for Political Science

Following is a brief account of the top universities to study Political Science as a major:

Scope of Political Science

Getting enrolled in Political Science opens the doors to numerous fields. Saying that Political Science courses affix a springboard to your career couldn’t be any more true. A rigorous academic training brings forth abundant opportunities in the world of journalism, law firms, international relations, economic analysis, public opinion analysis, NGOs, diplomatic services, foreign services, electoral members, and advocacy campaign members. 

Political Science as a Major

Political Science enables you to develop a coherent thought process that is incredibly knowledgeable about how the government functions at any level. A keen interest in this subject lets you understand the nature of power. You come across many minor subjects in this major. These will help you understand how a state is governed and how all these elements are arranged at an individual level.

Best Jobs for Political Science Majors:

FAQs

Does political science study require mathematics knowledge?

Political Science includes some of the statistical methods that require a sound knowledge of algebra, linear equations, calculus e.t.c.

What are the major courses in a political science degree?

• American Political System.
• Microeconomics.
• Early Political Thought.
• Modern Political Thought.
• Introduction to Political Science.
• Principles of Economics.
• Law, Politics, and Justice.
• Research Methods.

How long does it take to complete a bachelor’s degree in Political Science?

It generally takes a period of 4 years to complete a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in the U.S.A and most other parts of the world, although it might take a mere 3 years in European countries.

Conclusion: 

If you’re skilled at critically analyzing the phenomena taking place in the state, then you can’t find a better degree than political science. It will open the doors to the large fields of law and politics. In short, you’ll know the ins and outs of state functions and policy formulations.